UMCOR

United Methodist Committee on Relief

South Sudan

In 2006, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) expanded its presence in Sudan by establishing operations in the southern part of what was then a single country. Today, UMCOR’s overarching goal in the new nation of South Sudan is to address the needs of conflict-affected communities, returnees and vulnerable groups through the provision of basic services and sustainable livelihoods opportunities.

UMCOR has developed key partnerships with UK & US Government funding agencies, the European Commission, UN agencies, private donors, and The United Methodist Church (UMC) to support its work with vulnerable groups, returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in target areas of South Sudan.

With its main office in Juba, UMCOR works in Central Equatoria (CES) and Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBEG) states, focusing on:

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security

Economic Recovery and Livelihoods

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

Education

Health

In all projects, UMCOR targets beneficiaries by considering their vulnerability status, such as woman- or child-headed households, displaced populations, people living with disabilities and the elderly. Capacity building to generate local community ownership is integral to UMCOR’s approach to humanitarian and development assistance in South Sudan.

Current Projects

UMCOR is currently involved in implementing the following projects:

Education

Girls’ Education in South Sudan

With UK Department for International Development (DFID) funding, UMCOR will implement a £1.4 million girls’ education program over 5 years that will contribute to the increased enrollment and retention of girls in schools. The project also seeks to improve the quality of education in NBEG through capacity building of teachers, County Education Department officials and State Ministry of Education officials.

1092 teachers and 184 students have been trained on the South Sudan School Attendance and Monitoring System (SSAMS), which monitors daily teacher and student attendance.

18,926 student profiles from 458 schools have been uploaded to the national Education Ministry Information System (EMIS), which collects student census information.

Health

Improved Health Services and Access to Safe Water

With funding from Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, UMCOR is promoting improved primary health-care services for returnees and host communities of Aroyo Payam through the construction of a primary healthcare unit, training community health workers and traditional birth attendants, and strengthening patient referral systems. The project also aims to promote access to safe, clean water by drilling three boreholes, building latrines, and training water committees and pump mechanics.

A total of 6,500 individuals will benefit directly from this project.

Distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs)

Through funding from the Imagine No Malaria program, UMCOR is providing 30,000 LLINs to the refugee and host communities of Lasu Payam in Yei River County.

200 community volunteers have been trained in their local languages to educate their community members on the importance of LLINs in malaria prevention.

The South Sudan UMC Health Board has trained health workers on the diagnosis & treatment of malaria as well as provided malaria medicines to health facilities.

Water & Sanitation (WASH)

With Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) funding, UMCOR South Sudan will implement a program to significantly improve conditions for IDPs, returnees and host communities in NBEG by providing sustainable access to WASH services and increasing household food security.

Through USAID Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) funding, UMCOR will implement a program to address the basic needs of returnees in NBEG aimed at promoting self-sufficiency and recovery. Activities target improved agricultural production and increased food security; improved water access, sanitation services, and hygiene practices; child protection; and increased economic opportunities.

A total of 66,992 individuals will benefit directly from this project.

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security

Introduction and Dissemination of Innovative Food Security Practices in Central Equatoria State

With European Commission funding, UMCOR will implement a program to improve food security in Yei and Lainya counties. The program seeks to increase household income; knowledge and use of innovative agricultural techniques; and the capacity of relevant governments and NGOs to evaluate the impact of food-production practices in order to develop more effective policies. This project

Established 16 fish farms

Trained 223 individuals on fish farm management

Distributed over 24,000 fish fingerlings to farmers who are able to show a return on investment

Trained over 2400 farmers on improved cassava intercropping

A total of 40,821 individuals will benefit directly from this project.

Support for Refugees of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Members of the Host Community in Lasu, Yei River County

With funding provided by the US Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), UMCOR seeks to improve access to quality education, safe water, food security, and livelihoods for refugee and host community households.

A total of 15,153 individuals will benefit directly from this project.

Recent Projects

Through support from The United Methodist Church, UMCOR trained 22 health workers and 40 community leaders on malaria prevention. UMCOR staff conducted community-based distribution of 5,750 anti-malarial nets (LLITN) to 2,255 families and trained communities on how to utilize and monitor LLITNs at the household level.

Through support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), UMCOR supported ex-combatants in pursuing sustainable livelihoods opportunities through business training and start-up kits.

Direct Beneficiaries: 159 individuals

Support Early Livelihood Recovery of Returnees through Horticulture Production (May 2012-October 2012)

Through funding provided by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UMCOR trained returnee and host community families in Yei River County on farming and vegetable crops management; established greenhouses; and distributed tools and seeds.

Through support from Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Ohio, UMCOR increased the utilization of health services among residents and provided safe, clean water to the target communities through training of health-care workers and health department officials, promotion of good hygiene practices, and drilling water points.

Direct Beneficiaries: 3,000 households and additional 50 individuals

Initiative for Improved Access to Primary Education for Girls in South Aweil(October 2011-June 2012)

Through support from The United Methodist Church, UMCOR’s project directly benefited school-going children by improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in the target schools; improving hygiene practices among students of the targeted schools; and increasing awareness of the benefits of education for girls among members of the targeted communities.

Through support from Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, UMCOR increased the utilization of health services among residents through construction of a primary health-care unit, construction of institutional and household latrines, and training of community health workers.

With support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Government of South Sudan, UMCOR implemented a project that aimed to increase access to and utilization of integrated Education and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion (WASH) services in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State.

With support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Government of South Sudan, UMCOR implemented a project that aimed to increase access to and utilization of integrated Education and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion (WASH) services in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State.